The Silver Serpent
by Leveena
Summary: Leveena Glendale finds herself in the midst of a predicament between the Death Eaters and the Ministry of Magic, both who are hunting for specific items that hold unknown, yet powerful abilities. Lucius Malfoy aims to protect her...with a price.
1. Beginning of the End

"Leveena!"  
"What?"  
"Get ready, we're opening it up. Here, take these to the back. You'll probably have more to put back there later."  
Leveena carried a box of random items to the back of The Silver Serpent, which was a shop owned by her brother, Artemis. These items in the box she transported appeared to be ordinary, household trinkets, but most likely, that wasn't the case. Many of these items were to be checked to see if they held any powers. That's right. Powers. If they did, they would go on the shelves. That's exactly what this shop sold. But the big twist...? The items he was looking for had to contain some sort of dark magic.  
Leveena Glendale's job was to merely examine these objects. With the tip of her wand, she would touch it. If the object glowed, it was magical. The brightness of the light would depend on how powerful the object is. If it was powerful enough, she would put it in another box, and save it all up until the end of the day, where she would organize it all on the shelves. All the while, Artemis would be selling these objects to the dark wizards and witches that stopped by into Knockturn Alley.  
"Good day, sir, what may I do for you?" Artemis could be heard greeting a customer in the front of the shop. With a quiet, melodic tune escaping her throat, she sorted out the items that her brother had collected.  
"Something cheap. Something useful around the house. Perhaps a nice anniversary gift for my wife."  
She heard Artemis chuckle. "I think we may have something to your satisfaction."  
Not everything that The Silver Serpent sold was made of dark magic, but it was something that Artemis would keep a close lookout for. If it was valuable, he'd sell it.  
"Have a nice day, sir." Moments later, Artemis came into the back to see Leveena was sitting on the floor, pulling typical household objects and pointing at it with her wand. Some glowed, some didn't.  
"Leveena, sis, I've been doing a bit of brainstorming, and I figured maybe there's a good way to keep this shop low profile. What would you say to a Divination shop?"  
The blonde girl looked up from the silver fork she was holding, staring up at her brother. "Would you really do that?" she asked, her voice mixed with happiness and surprise. Leveena had a gift in the subject of Divination, even when she was a Ravenclaw student back in Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry. Her and Divination went together like peanut butter and jelly.  
"Of course, little sister," Artemis smiled at her. "In case anything happens, you can still run the shop any way you please, and be quite content."  
"That would be wonderful!"  
"I'm sure we've got tons of spare Divination supplies back at the house. I'll check the attic. We must have at least half a dozen crystal balls up there," Artemis turned on his heel and left the shop.  
Within about ten minutes, she heard the bell ring, indicating another customer had entered the shop. She got up to her feet in a bit of a hurry, then came out to the front shop to see a man with long, white-blond hair. Behind him, there was a young boy with slit back hair of the same color, and he was carrying a black box as big as a fully grown house cat. She had seen this slightly older man many times in this shop. He was a regular customer, as a matter of face. However, she never learned his name. After all, the customers were always left in the hands of her brother.  
"Good day, sir," she said as she stood behind the counter, giving him a warm, welcoming smile.  
"I take it Artemis is out of the store for a while," he replied in a cool voice.  
"Yes, but he'll probably be back within an hour or so. How may I help you?"  
"I'm selling today."  
"Is that so?" she replied thoughtfully. It wasn't often that people would sell their items.  
The man gave a nod and turned to the younger boy, who Leveena figured must've been his son. She could see a resemblance. They both had icy gray eyes and a pale complexion. "Draco," he said simply to the boy. The young wizard named Draco stepped forward and placed the box on the counter in front of Leveena. "I'm sure you might've heard something about the Ministry conducting more raids on private houses," the father went on. "They never stop, I'm afraid. It's tiring, and I think the Ministry is getting a bit..._suspicious_."  
"Ah, then a wise decision you've made to come here, sir," Leveena responded. "What do you have, then?"  
"I won't got into the details," he said, lowering his voice as he had replied. He opened the box, but his eyes didn't lower to the content inside. Hers did, however.  
"Artemis should be pleased that you stopped by," she said, looking into the box and pulling out a few vials of potions. Then, she found a silver ring at the bottom, and pulled it out. "Bloody hell..."  
"That particular item," he said, grabbing her wrist rather tightly and holding it against the counter, "is not for sale."  
"Ah, of course," she replied with a nervous chuckle. She was almost terrific by the sudden act of violence, but she didn't want it to show through too much. "It's a valuable object, I'm sure. One would hate to see if fall into the wrong hands, sir, and I can quite understand that." There was a hint of a stutter as she spoke, and for a moment, she stared at him as he gave her a partially stern look. His grip loosened, and she allowed the ring to drop to the counter, then rubbed her wrist. After a little bit more of rummaging through the delivered items, she pulled out a drawer beside her and counted out ten galleons, four sickles, and a knut. "I'll let Artemis know you stopped by. I'm sorry you missed him."  
"I'll be back tomorrow with some more items," he answered, then gave her a polite bow, taking the ring that she was quite curious about. _If the ring wasn't for sale, then why was it in a box full of items that were?_ He turned on his heel, making a gesture to his son to follow. She stared after him for a moment as he departed the store, trying to figure out what was so suspicious about that ring. She took the items and raised her wand to each one, surprised, as well as content, with the fact that each one had a bright glow to it.  
After she put the items up on specific shelves, along with many of them items in the back, she looked out the window to see the sun was beginning to set, and her brother still had not returned. A good few hours had passed.

Once another couple of hours passed, Leveena decided to close the shop for the day, until nighttime. In the darker hours of weekends, there were more people lurking around the alley. On weeknights, however, it was practically deserted. It was a good thing today was Saturday.  
Leveena grabbed her black purse and hung it over her shoulder. She zipped opened a pocket of it on the front of the bag, and took out a small, silver key. She walked out of the shop and closed the door behind her, using the tiny key to lock it.  
She Disapparated out of the alley, reappearing in a living room of elegance and shining light. The atmosphere was bright. This was home, sweet home.  
"Arty!" she called out for her brother, "I'm home!" She walked into the hall and headed up a flight up winding stairs. There was no answer yet. "What kept you?" she exclaimed to the walls, but there was still nothing. The house was quite silent, save for her footsteps and her raised voice. The ladder to the attic was standing in the center of the hallway on the third floor. She approached it and began to climb it, then peeked her head into the attic above.  
It was pitch black.  
"Artemis?" Leveena reached into her pocket and pulled out her wand from her back pocket. She raised it so that it was leveled with her shoulder, and then muttered, _"Lumos."_ A bright line illuminated the attic. From the entrance, she examined the small space. The glass window on the far side of the room was shattered, and there were small pieces on the floor lying around a shape. Leveena gasped.  
"Artemis!?"  
She stumbled onto the attic floor and crawled over to the unmoving body of her brother. She held the wand so the light shone on a pale face, eyes wide open. Leveena put her index and middle fingers to the pulse point on his neck, and was very still for a few moments.  
She couldn't feel a pulse.  
Her brother was dead.


	2. Unclear Explanations

That night, Leveena did return to the shop, but she didn't open it back up. Instead, she simply sat in the front shop. The door was closed. She sat in a chair, simply looking out the window from the far side of the room. She could see the many people passing by, and even a few heads turning to the shop, probably wondering why the door was closed. She sighed miserably and bowed her head, green eyes glaring at the ground as they became blurry with tears. She heard a small click, but she didn't lift her head; there was the sound of the door creaking open.  
"Miss Glendale?"  
She didn't raise her head.  
"Miss Glendale...I'm sorry to hear about your brother." As she became a little more aware that she was no longer alone, she realized that the man's voice was slightly familiar. She raised her head back up, her eyes spotting the same blond-haired man that she had seen earlier that day. This time, he was alone. His son had not accompanied him.  
She quickly got up, as if she was startled. "We're not open right now."  
"I understand. Just sit down." The man put a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back down onto the chair. But he was somewhat gentle.  
"I thought you said you wouldn't be back until tomorrow," she stated, looking up at him as she quickly wiped her tears away. She hated to cry in front of someone...especially a stranger.  
"When the Ministry told me what happened, I figured I'd come to find you. You're not safe, Leveena. I know what happened to him..."  
"What?" Leveena made a motion to get up again, but once more, she was pushed back.  
"Death Eaters," he said in a hushed voice, as if he was telling her his deepest, darkest secret. "They killed your brother, and they're not done."  
"Why?"  
"One of the items he has...it's very valuable. A silver ring with a sapphire. Does it sound at all familiar?"  
Leveena certainly knew about the ring he spoke of. It was hidden in her bedroom, as a matter of fact. But where exactly in that room, she couldn't recall. Then, another thought had come to mind. She didn't even know who the hell this guy was that was telling her all of these things. "Who are you anyway?" she asked, avoiding the subject for the time being. She didn't know where it was going, and she wasn't too enthused to find out, either. Besides, she figured that finding out who this man was, was a bit more important than the matter he was pressing.  
"Lucius," he replied. "Lucius Malfoy."  
Leveena froze. The name rang a bell, too. He was the son of Abraxas Malfoy, who was once a good friend of her own father. She never really met any of the Malfoys up until now, but her brother was closely connected to them, mainly because of the Silver Serpent. The Malfoy family was rich. From what she heard, Lucius lived with his wife, Narcissa, and son, Draco. She only had the pleasure of meeting the two males of the family, however.  
"From your expression, you know who I am," Lucius went on, almost holding an expression of amusement on his face. It wasn't that, though. There was one more thing about Lucius that she had heard from Artemis himself at one point.  
He was a Death Eater.

"Were you...?" she started, but she couldn't finish; her thought was weighing heavily on her mind. She gradually stood up, but this time, he didn't stop her. _Maybe he was involved with her brother's death._

"No," Lucius replied casually as if he had read her mind. He was shaking his head. "But I was there. In fact, he was killed by Yaxley."  
_Yakley? What?_ she thought, looking at him strangely. "Um...who?"  
"Yaxley," Lucius repeated in a crisper tone, his facial expression looking irritated. "Another one of the Death Eaters, though I don't particularly appreciate him." He spoke in a somewhat bitter tone as he mentioned the man. This Yaxley didn't sound too popular.  
Leveena frowned a little. He almost didn't seem to like this reputation as a Death Eater. She didn't know how to respond to all of this. It was so sudden. So _frightening_, for that matter. She held a hand to her head and sank back down into the chair. She felt a throbbing pain in her head.  
"Are you alright, Miss Glendale?"  
She shook her head a little, leaning her elbow on the arm of the furniture, and her temple leaning on the palm of her hand. "No..." she muttered under her breath, followed by a groan of agony. The pain had only increased once she spoke. The splitting headache would not surrender, no matter how much she tried to force it away. Maybe that was precisely what made it worse.  
Lucius turned his gray eyes to the window, concluding by the lack of light outside that it was a good time to leave. He sighed, holding out his hand to her as he returned his gaze to her miserable form. "Let's get you home," he said. "You're in need of some rest." Suddenly, a surge of what seemed like anger had taken over her. Her head bolted up, and her were eyes staring at him almost indignantly. A flash raced across her green-hued glare.  
"I'm not going back there!" she shouted. "I found my brother in that house! _Dead!_" Almost immediately, Lucius's expression changed from stern to apologetic. He must've realized just then that he had made the wrong suggestion.  
"In that case," he said, "we only have one other option." He took her gently by the wrist and pulled her back up to her feet. He obviously wasn't going to give her any further warnings. Nor was he going to ask her permission for anything. Talk about gentlemanly.  
"Hey, what're you--"  
With a loud _crack!, _they Disapparated from the shop.


	3. Dedication

The girl felt nearly sick to her stomach once the spinning movement around her finally ceased. Her eyes had been closed throughout the Disapparation, but as she opened them, she found that she was in a magnificent, beautiful room that had yet to be known to her. Lucius Malfoy released her hand shortly afterwards once he was convinced that she could stand on her own. She wasn't used to that form of transportation. She didn't want to try, either.

"My home," Lucius spoke dryly before retiring to the next room which was the entrance hall. There was a winding staircase of marble that was located in the corner closest to the front doors. Without a single syllable, he led her up to the second floor, opening the second door to his left. "This will be your room for a while. We have a few things to discuss at dinner, so I suggest you hurry and get changed into something somewhat formal."

Leveena partially blushed as she passed over the threshold. "I don't even know your family that well. You can't possibly expect me to calmly converse with the three of you."

"Draco is at school, and my wife is on a vacation in France. It will just be the two of us for a while." He still spoke with such an icy tone, it had caused her to shudder in discomfort. That was even worse. Talking to a man with as little emotion as Lucius Malfoy wouldn't prove satisfying. But she wouldn't argue.

"I'll make it quick," she responded in hope to keep him away from any possible road of a rising temper. He didn't even do as much as nod, but nearly left as if she hadn't said a word. She closed the door and walked over to the wardrobe. She swore it had to be as if she was expected, for the many dresses and gowns that hung neatly appeared to fit her perfectly. Perhaps they were all Narcissa's clothes when she was Leveena's age? Deciding not to linger on the thought any longer, Leveena picked out a deep, red gown. It was somewhat tight, but the black lace on its torso had intrigued her. It was a beautiful dress. She hadn't noticed until she put it on that there was a decorative slit up one side of the skirt, revealing her toned and smooth leg. This was almost embarrassing. Should she have chosen something a little less risqué? Most of them had that same style: one of a sensual, wealthy woman. Leveena certainly was not sensual, and she wasn't all as wealthy as the Malfoys, either.

"Ugh, forget it," she muttered sourly, grabbing a pair of black heels and putting them on as she fixed her hair into a simple bun. She gave a nervous tug on the long sleeves of the gown, then opened the door and made her way back to the stairs. Staring down at the long trail of descending marble was intimidating her. She was in heels, for Merlin's sake! Suddenly, she felt a hand lightly placed against the small of her back.

"Let me help," Lucius spoke in a somewhat sincere offer. At least he was somewhat of a gentleman. Leveena slowly began to walk down the steps with the help of the owner of the mansion, who kept his hand at her back, his other hand holding her arm in case she lost her balance. She made it without as much as a stumble, placing her heels firmly on the leveled ground at the foot of the stairwell. She released a heavy sigh, which had put a faint grin on Lucius's face. "Not used to the heels, I take it," he concluded, releasing her arm as he moved to an archway that led to the dining room. The amused curve of his lips had caught her off guard for a moment. _If I didn't know any better, I'd say I'm blushing right about now, _she thought miserably. She hoped she was wrong. Her lack of experience with heels was embarrassing enough.

Lucius had pulled out a chair for her at the furthest end of the long table that was clothed in a deep green. The silverware, of course, was perfectly-polished silver. The chairs surrounding the dining table were made of black oak, which, thanks to spells, was a little more stronger than the normal material. Leveena took her seat, seeing that dinner had already been served. She noticed a somewhat foul expression his face. Before she could question, he was already one step ahead of the game.

"This will be the last dinner my house elf will be cooking," he clarified sourly, sitting himself at the opposite end of the table. "Old age is getting to the bastard. I was persuaded to simply put him out of his misery - put him to sleep."

"I'm sorry to hear it." It was somewhat sad. Then again, she knew that Mr. Malfoy would hardly be affected by this. He was surely a good definition for the word _heartless_.

"I'm not," he replied swiftly. She could've sworn she saw a glint in his silver-like eyes when he responded. "See, I think I might have already found my replacement." This rose Leveena's curiosity. Another elf, surely.

"That's good to hear," she answered unenthusiastically, using the fork to pick at the green beans on her plate. She took a bite. It was truly exquisite, the taste. She hadn't really taken in real food like this for a long while - at least a couple of weeks.

"You do realize, Miss Glendale, that I am doing you a great deal of favors?" she heard Lucius continue. "Offering you hospitality within my home, protecting you from the Dark Lord." She could tell this was getting serious not only by the tone of his voice, but the context. She nodded her head to assure him that she was aware. "These do not go without payment," he went on, "I expect you would know that much. Prove to me that you deserve my shelter." Leveena stared at him from across the table, unsure of how to respond. Was he indicating what she thought he was?

"What must I do?" she questioned almost timidly. She was partially afraid to ask, and it was obvious to tell that once she had set down her fork.

"Do whatever I ask of you," Lucius answered, "no matter how odd it may be. If I want something done, I expect you to be the one to make it as such."

"Dinner and cleaning?" she supposed with a meek smile, "I can do that. No problem."

Lucius laughed almost darkly, "Don't be so naïve to think I'm going to go easy on you," he warned. Her spirit sank as he explained the terms. "I'm a Malfoy; I'm a Death Eater. I am not one to sugarcoat things for anyone, regardless of how much they do in my favor. You'll stay here, yes, but while you're under my roof, you'll find I am not a very fair man."

Leveena almost wanted to argue, but she knew that doing so would result in her being handed over to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Refusing to obey Lucius Malfoy's orders would surely be a foolish act of suicide. However, enslavement didn't thrill the girl much either. "I understand."

"Not to worry, Leveena," he cooed, his colorless, cold eyes boring into hers, glinting through the distance of the table between them, "unlike a house elf, you'll get your reward when you've gained the privilege."

"Privilege?"

"All in good time."

She was silent afterwards, uncomfortably picking and nibbling on her dinner occasionally. She had nothing else to say, and it was soon apparent that neither did Lucius. He had not uttered a syllable once he finished his own plate. He left the dining room to her, obviously for her to clean it up once she had finished. It didn't take a genius to know her enslavement started now. The dishes were removed from the dining room and to the kitchen. Unfortunately, she had left her wand lying in her own house, and could not retrieve it and use magic in order to get the chores done quickly.

The dining room was eventually as clean to the point that it appeared it had never been used before. The green cloth was wiped down with a damp rag, and was eventually removed of all tableware, save for a candelabra. She didn't know where else to put it, so she decided she'd leave it be. She blew out the lit candles - there wasn't very many, so it was quite dark to begin with - and then made her way up the stairs. She had hoped she would be allowed to retire to bed. Thankfully, Lucius was nowhere in sight, and that was a sure sign that he would not bring her to a halt and give her more work to do. It was already a quarter until midnight.

She changed into a clean nightgown found in the wardrobe and climbed into bed after putting her evening gown into a laundry basket. Perhaps tomorrow she would ask Lucius where the laundry room was, or wherever the hell she could clean clothes. There was no doubt in her mind that she'd have to clean _his _clothes. That thought was just as discomforting as many of the other thoughts she had this evening. She never even had to clean Artemis's clothes. It was one thing, cleaning your brother's clothes. But cleaning a man's clothes that you hardly even know? Regardless of the fact that he was protecting her from the Dark Lord, it was obscene.


	4. Search

Leveena had not been able to find Lucius when she woke up the following morning. Perhaps he had already left for his job at the Ministry of Magic. When she stepped into the lounge, however, she found a small piece of paper sitting on a table by a black-leather recliner. She picked it up to find that she was apparently meant to find it. Her name was written on the top in neat cursive:

_Leveena,_

_As of today, you are officially considered the servant of the Malfoy household. The strenuous work starts once you read this. There is a list below of things I would like to see done upon my return. If I were you, I wouldn't take too many breaks. _

_- The three guest rooms on the second floor could use some cleaning. You'll be able to figure out which ones are the guest rooms. They're not all too decorative. The bed sheets are down in the basement, which you may access through the door in the kitchen furthest from the dining room archway._

_- When the eagle owl returns, feed him and place whatever mail he has on this table. You'll find his food in the drawer. _

_- Close all the windows before noon. There's a storm coming in, and the last thing I need is rain on the floor. That would give you more to clean up._

_- Make sure all the balconies on the second floor are swept clean. Don't bother going to the third floor._

_- Have a decent dinner ready by seven o' clock. I expect you know how to cook. If not, there's several cookbooks on the kitchen rack. _

_I will see you this evening. _

_Lucius Malfoy_

Thank heavens, no laundry was involved. Leveena looked out the window to see that no sun could be seen. The storm was rolling in faster than Lucius had anticipated. She read 9:55 on the mechanical clock by the lounge chair. Her day had just begun, and she knew it was bound to pass her like a snail. She decided she would close the windows first. She passed through every room of the first and second floor, following the rule she had been given about not ascending to the third. She couldn't help but be curious, regardless.

A loud, indignant hoot came from just outside the last window she was about to close. The eagle owl had arrived and was aiming to fly right into the guest room. Leveena ducked as he gracefully glided in, then watched as he perched himself on the bedpost. She closed the door and looked at the large bird. He had dropped three small letters on the mattress, and his large, yellow eyes stared at Leveena, as if questioning who the hell she was and what she was doing in the manor.

"Hungry?" she asked the bird, who then spread its wings and hooted at her demandingly. "Well then, come on." She cautiously took the letters and went out into the hallway. She glanced over her shoulder to see that the owl had not budged from his perch. "Are you coming or not?" she scowled a little, which then caused the winged animal to leave the post and follow her down the stairs in flight. She put the envelopes on the table along where she found the note Lucius left her, and then opened the drawer on the same table. Sure enough, there was a small container. She opened it to find that there were large bird pellets - perfect size for the eagle owl. She took four of them from the container and looked at the bird, which was now perched on the banister of the marble staircase. He was watching her intently, up until he spotted the food in her hands. He spread his wings again and emitted a more peaceful call. She walked over to him and very slowly held out her hand, offering him the food. The eagle owl looked at her face again, then back to the food, before nipping away at the pellets. Once the four bites of food were consumed, the owl flew over onto her shoulder. He appeared to be quite comfortable once he landed. He was even cute. Leveena smiled faintly as the bird nipped at her golden-blonde hair gingerly.

The balconies were next. The eagle owl had accompanied her as she used the broom to remove the leaves and dust from the marble floors. She even washed the insides of the glass doors that led out to them. By the time she had finished with the balconies, Leveena checked the time. It was already three in the afternoon. She had been slacking off a little, taking her time and spending a few minutes with the bird before returning to work. He had eventually left her shoulder to perch on the banister once she stepped into the kitchen to start cooking dinner. She had to see what was in store first so that she knew she had what she needed to make a meal. She was glad to find she had the proper ingredients to make an Italian pasta dish. She had been surprised to find the kitchen had a stove and cool storage. This was the Malfoy Manor, wasn't it? And wasn't the family very critical about 'muggle' appliances? Perhaps they never even took step into this room. Maybe it was just how the house elves did it. No wonder their last one had to be put down. He was worked so hard having to cook food without magic.

The pasta was set to simmer for several hours while she fixed up the guest rooms. She could hear the rain begin to fall against the windows, and a glance outside was all she needed to prove herself correct. Once she finished tucking in the black comforter behind the mattress, she made her way out of the room. As she did, she heard a voice downstairs that had caused her to halt. Lucius had already come home.

"I'm not in the mood, Goyle. Quit wasting your breath. I have business to attend to." The sound of the front door shutting echoed through the mansion, and Leveena stood at the top of the stairs, peering over the banister to see Lucius was standing in the entrance hall. He moved into the lounge and could be heard shuffling through the mail. There was the calm hooting of the eagle owl, and his yellow eyes turned up to Leveena as she descended the stairs. He flew up to perch on her shoulder again, and Lucius turned to see the pair both look at him. He grinned at the eagle owl, and then looked at Leveena. "I see you've met Dwyer," he spoke, "it seems you two are getting along already."

"I suppose so," Leveena murmured, glancing over at the owl to see he was once again nipping at her hair. "He's been doing that for a couple of hours today."

"It means he fancies you. Consider yourself lucky." He then paused, taking in the scent of dinner. "Smells nice," he commented.

"It should be ready by now," she answered, watching as Dwyer left her shoulder once again to settle on the arm of the recliner closest to Lucius.

"Then go ahead and get changed into something elegant," he ordered, making a hand motion that indicated for her to go upstairs. She did so, and he followed. They took their separate ways in the hall, and she closed her door to get changed. As she did so, she remembered she had left open one of the balcony doors. In a panic, she hurried down the hall in a navy-blue evening gown, holding her heels in her hand as she entered the room. Thankfully, the wind was blowing away from the doors, so the rain was not interfering with the floor yet. She quickly closed the glass doors, looking out through it at the pouring rain. Lightning flashed. Thunder rolled.

She put on her heels and left the room, glancing around in other rooms to ensure there were no other open doors or windows. She was quite certain there were no more. She had glanced into a room to see Lucius. It was a good thing his back was turned to her, otherwise she would have been highly embarrassed. Oh, regardless, she was embarrassed. The man was shirtless, and the perfect formation of his curves had stolen her breath for a few seconds. His complexion: flawless. She could feel the familiar heat rising to her cheeks, and she hurried away from the doorway and down the stairs. In her frenzy, it was a wonder how she managed to keep her balance with those same shoes. She fixed her hair up, passing the sleeping Dwyer on the couch as she made her way into the kitchen. She took two green bowls (Malfoys were obviously dead-serious about their Slytherin pride, weren't they?) and began to translate equal amounts of pasta smothered in white sauce into the dishes. She carried them into the dining room, set them on the table, and then took her seat at the same place she had the night before. She was left to her thoughts for only half a minute or so, giving the opportunity to mentally vent about the beauty of Lucius's upper body. She was straightened by reflex as she saw him cross the threshold into the dining room. He looked quite high-spirited, perhaps in a better mood than he had been yesterday.

"You did well today, I can tell," he complimented. The lightning outside of the windows was the only source of light, which had led Lucius to draw his wand and light the chandelier above them. It was dim, not meant to really hurt the eyes. In fact, it was quite soothing. It almost gave the room a mysterious glow.

"Thank you, sir." She watched anxiously as he took a bite of the pasta before him. She could almost see a pleased gleam in his gaze.

"Better than I expected. You are an exceptionally talented cook."

"It's an Italian dish," she clarified with a timid smile, "that's my expertise."

"A job well done." It was silent for a moment as the two of them ate. She couldn't quite find the courage to look up at him anymore. Not yet, at least. She was still a bit flustered. She was glad that he had eventually broken the silence, as well as answered several questions that lingered through her mind. "I apologize for being so early. I expected the Ministry would have more assignments for me. Apparently not. It's a good thing, though. I had something I figured we should do anyway, since you're done with the tasks I assigned to you."

"What is it?" she asked, her interest peaking.

"We'll have to return to your home just long enough to gather those objects that the Dark Lord is searching for," he announced. "I must attend a short meeting with the Death Eaters in an hour or so just long enough to get a list of what those items are, exactly."

"There's more than one?" Leveena muttered bitterly. "I thought it was just a ring."

"I thought so, too. The Ministry is out looking for them now. Turns out one of my affiliates at work found out about it; he's also a Death Eater, so he's bent on getting them for the Dark Lord. I'm bent on getting it away from all hands, perhaps lock them all in a safe."

"Would that work?"

"We can only try to find out. They certainly aren't safe sitting around in your house."

As Leveena cleaned up, Lucius had left to his meeting. She had been given an order to change again, into something more easier to walk around in - maybe even run. She went into the bedroom and changed into a pair of black pants and a white blouse. It sort of made her feel like a secretary of sorts, though she wouldn't complain. It was better than those tight dresses she was forced to wear at dinner. Did Narcissa have to dress like that every night? Poor woman.

Once he returned and they were ready to depart, Lucius had used Apparation to arrive at the two-story home of Leveena's. It was simple on the outside, but a little more flashy inside, if the lights were on. There were several chandeliers scattered about various rooms. Lucius helped her investigate by searching the first floor. She took care of the second floor. Her brother's room was the first she searched through. She tore everything apart. She hated it, but she knew she hardly had a choice. The list Lucius had written was held between her lips, and so far, she found nothing. The items included a chalice, a pendant in the shape of a crystal shard, a quill, a cloak, a dagger, a hand-held mirror, a tiara, and of course, the ring that had been previously mentioned. The next room Leveena had searched through was the guest room closest to Artemis's. She had been glad to find two of the listed items: the mirror and the quill. Touching them automatically sent a pulsating feeling to her fingertips, which was why she had supposed they were _the _items they were looking for.

Her own room was next. While she was here, she figured she'd gather some of her own clothes when she was working around the house. Several simple skirts, pants, tops, and shoes. And undergarments, of course. She held a large bag filled with the clothes, finding it easier to dig through the room with them out of the way. The closet was the biggest struggle. It was dark, and there was no light source inside of it. She had yet to find her wand, which was downstairs.

After thirty minutes of tearing apart the second floor, Leveena hadn't found anything else. She surrendered and returned downstairs to find Lucius was slowly pacing the living room, his wand out. He was holding a small, silver goblet in his other hand. "Is that the one?" she asked quietly.

"It's all I found. What about you?"

Leveena held up the mirror and quill that were in her left hand. "I also gathered some of my clothes." She indicated to the bag she held, hoping he had no objection.

"If you insist," he responded, "though eventually, I expect you to pay a visit to Knockturn Alley under supervision to get some new clothes. I know it's a bit uncomfortable, wearing someone else's clothes."

"Just a bit." Leveena went into the living room, having remembered where she last put her wand: on the piano in the corner. However, it was not there. She panicked a little up until she felt Lucius's arm slip around her waist.

"We're leaving."


	5. Not So Scary, Is It?

Upon their return to Lucius's manor, not much could be said. Lucius took the two objects that Leveena had gathered, and she quietly followed him to the third floor. The entire level seemed to be somewhat dark and eerie. The atmosphere was colder up here, and she didn't feel at ease in any way, shape, or form. The furthest door at the end of the hallway was the one that they passed into. She couldn't really identify what it was. There was very little furniture. Only two simple chairs that were identical to the ones at the dining table downstairs. However, these were dusty and somewhat dilapidated.

"You can probably tell this floor isn't really used much," Lucius broke the awkward silence as he crossed the dust-smothered area. The floorboards creaked every time a foot stepped. On the wall furthest from the door was a green Celtic tapestry. It had caught her eye almost immediately, because it was the only thing that wasn't devoured by soot. "You'll have to start cleaning this sooner or later," he added, pulling aside the tapestry as if it were a curtain.

_Well, that will be loads of fun._

She watched without a verbal complaint as Lucius revealed a steel safe embedded in the wall. It appeared as if it had never been touched, and in fact, it wasn't even filthy. He fondled with the knob for a moment before opening the door. The box was empty. It almost seemed like he had reserved the safe for this particular reason. He put the chalice, quill, and mirror in the safe, then locked it back up. He then took out his wand and flicked it at the safe. After covering it back up with the tapestry, he turned to face the young woman. "I had to change the combination, just to ensure they don't break into it."

Later that evening, after Lucius had retired to bed, Leveena finally took her free time to freshen up. The bathroom was connected to her own bedroom, so she didn't have to travel far from her bed. That shower had washed away most of her irritations and doubts. Only one seemed to linger: How much longer would she be able to pull off this safety measure until things either went back to normal or she got caught? What if Lucius's plans failed? What if he was setting her up the whole time?

As she got out of the shower, everything came tumbling back down on her. There was no permanent escape from those worries. She almost would have liked to disappear from the face of the Wizarding World so she didn't have to be tortured by this any longer. That probably would have been to kind for her.

She crawled into bed after wrapping her hair up in a towel, leaning her back against the pillows, her head pressed against the wall and she collapsed into thought. Why was Lucius Malfoy so keen on helping her? Was it really so he had a replacement for his deceased servant? Was there something up his sleeve? Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach. It would have been horrible if she had just fallen into a trap of his so easily. She tried to think of happier subjects. The only thing that could really pop into her head was Dwyer's kindness to her. That bird loved her instantly; she could tell. At least it appeared that someone was on her side, as silly as it seemed.

Her sleep had been disturbed by a loud crash erupting from the first floor. Leveena had practically fallen out of her bed. She rose to her feet and pulled her robe over her bare body, which was now dry. Her hair was still up in the towel, though she had no concern in it at the time. She was determined to find out what that noise had been. She slowly opened the door and crept to the stairs. Nothing out of the ordinary could be seen just yet.

She descended the stairs. It was strangely silent now, to the point that suspicion poisoned the air of the manor. The lounge seemed untouched, as well as the dining room. Even the kitchen looked unoccupied and neat. However, on the other side of the dining room, opposite of the kitchen's door, there were double doors she had not yet passed through yet. They were cracked open, and a faint light could be seen on the other side. Leveena tiptoed forward and pushed open the door, stepping into what must have been Lucius's study. Speaking of which, the man himself was standing over a table, glaring at the eagle owl that was perched on the bookshelf. Both pairs of eyes turned to Leveena, as if they had been caught in a crime. There were books and shard of broken glass scattered on the floor. They must have belonged where Dwyer was currently placed. Apparently, he had made the loud crashing noise.

Lucius's face softened as he looked at his new slave. "Did he wake you up?" he questioned disappointedly.

"Yeah," she responded, though she almost felt guilty for blaming anything on the innocent bird. He didn't mean anybody harm, did he? Sure enough, Dwyer shamefully bowed his little head, eyes casting to the fallen objects on the ground. He knew he had done wrong.

"Leave us," Lucius spoke sternly to the bird, who, without hesitance, did so. He flew past Leveena's head and out of sight, probably to hide somewhere in the castle until his master's tempest flame had died out. Lucius lazily collapsed into the chair at his desk and looked at her. "Where is that list?" he demanded.

"On the table in the lounge," Leveena answered. "I had already crossed out the ones we found."

"Good. I guess I don't have to tell you to do everything, then. You have some common sense." Lucius grinned up at her a little, "I like that about you, Leveena."

"Thank you, sir."

"Master," he corrected sternly, which had taken her by surprise. That was almost insulting, having to call him _Master_. For her sake, though, she'd do it.

"Thank you, _master_," she repeated. At this, Lucius appeared pleased. He leaned back and watched her for a moment, as if he was trying to look right through her robe. She sure hoped not.

"I want you to do me a favor, Leveena. No complaints, no questions. I've had a tiring meeting with the Dark Lord, so you can guarantee my patience is quite thin."

"Anything you want, sir -- master."

Lucius reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out what appeared to be a white handkerchief. She tossed it to her carelessly, hardly budging the rest of his body. "Come here," he ordered simply. Hesitantly, she did as she was told, twiddling her fingers about the white cloth that had been thrown to her. Her heartbeat was steadily rising, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why that was. "Consider yourself lucky my shoes are clean," he added, looking up at her. There was that familiar glint in his eye, though it was a little more obvious than she remembered it to be. What was that supposed to mean? She didn't have a carpet to clean? "On your knees."

"W--what?" she stammered, her eyes huge as snitches. She must have not heard him correctly.

"You heard me."

Okay, maybe she did. Unsure yet of what to expect, she did so, gradually lowering to the ground. She was basically kneeling before him, feeling even more pathetic than she already had thus far. Lucius looked down at her, almost appearing entertained by her low stance. One of his legs crossed over the other, a leather shoe staring her in the face.

"They could do with a bit of polishing, don't you agree?"

"I suppose, but…you've given me no polish."

"Improvise, Leveena. You know precisely what I want you to do."

Unfortunately, she did. She didn't want to do it though. It was humiliating! Regardless of what she had promised him, she almost could not see herself spit-shining any person's shoes. Not even her own, for that matter. She closed her eyes and slowly conjured up a hint of saliva onto the cloth he had given her, then rubbed it onto the shoe levitating before her. The whole time, she was cursing herself, unable to believe that she was so easily beaten down by his threatening stare. If she refused, there would be hell to pay. Lucius would ensure it.

Eyes were closed as she repeated her process, but her ears were constantly open, awaiting for him to tell her to stop. She heard him eventually, and jumped at his next demand. "Lick it." She cringed at the thought of it. Licking leather? That would not be any fun. After a second or so of hating herself - especially hating him - she lowered the cloth from her lips and knelt down to run the tip of her tongue along the hood of his shoe. The taste of leather made her twitch in disgust, but she continued regardless. Eventually, the shoe had moved away from her, and Lucius switched the intersecting of his legs. Now the other shoe was waiting for some polishing. Highly embarrassed and insulted, Leveena shut her eyes and cringed as she licked around the top of the shoe. After about half a minute, she heard him make another command. "Wipe them clean." She pulled away quickly, trying to ignore that awful, leathery taste in her mouth as she rubbed the cloth on both of his shoes. She was staring at the ground the entire time, but was brought back to reality when she heard something that sounded an awful lot like a _zip_! All her movement ceased. She was frozen in time, it seemed, stuck at a fork in the road. Should she deny him now and lend her life to the darkest wizard ever known? Or should she allowed herself to be lowered to standards of vermin?

"Look at me," she heard him say.

Her eyes lifted from the ground, though before they could catch his face, they caught something else that nearly mortified her. His erection was standing up in front of her, appearing as if it was almost towering over her. It was beyond intimidating. Quickly, she turned her green eyes to the floor again, a gasp intruding her lungs. "Look at me," he repeated in a more stern, demanding voice. She jumped and quickly looked up to his face, trying so hard to skip the large organ that he had released. As their eyes locked, Lucius's lips curled into a minor smirk. "You've never done this before, have you? That's cute." He leaned toward her, his index finger and thumb taking a gentle hold of her chin. He pulled her forward, and she closed her eyes tightly as she came closer. "I'll lead you through it. It isn't so scary, trust me."

_Trust him? That was funny. Setting up a dirty little trap like this. Who would trust him?_

She felt a tug on her face, and had forgotten that his temper was short this evening. If she denied him too much, she could get a smack across the face. Getting hit by a man was one thing she did not want on her list of embarrassing occurrences in life. She took in a deep breath and leaned in further, her lips brushing lightly against his waiting shaft. She felt his hands linger to the towel on her head, unwrapping it and letting her damp, blonde hair fall along her shoulders and arms. The towel was tossed aside as she continued to brush her mouth against his skin. It was then that she felt a strange surge that told her this wasn't so bad. In fact, after a few moments of getting started, it was almost…delightful.

Her tongue broke from her lips to stroke him now, working in up-and-down movements up until she was ready to take him in. She slowly wrapped her mouth around the head of his erection, sucking on it lightly before glancing up at him. She had been curious as to if she was doing the right thing. Apparently, she was, for he was gazing down at her with those icy eyes, which were now filled with a crystalline lust. "See? I told you it wasn't so terrible," he mumbled, lacing his fingers through her hair as she continued. He was right. It was quite enjoyable at this point, and he tasted…like heaven. She almost smiled as she felt his body arch up ever so slightly. She was doing it right. "Pretty damn good for your first time," she heard him groan, then felt his fingers grip onto the back of her head. "You're a natural."

She didn't stop. Instead, she sped it up a notch, her tongue working in harmony with her lips as she aimed to please her master. It had to be about ten minutes of that when she could feel the climatic pulsing of his erection. He was getting close. She almost didn't know what to do at this point. Would she swallow it? Would she spit it out? She always figured spitting it might be rude, so she might as well manage with swallowing. Eventually, a warm, thick substance shot out to the roof of her mouth and onto her tongue. She twitched at the texture, but the taste wasn't all as dissatisfying. She quickly swallowed it, using her tongue to clean off the excess from the head. Once she pulled away, Lucius's eyes were still fixed on her, filled with an amazement that she had yet to see up until now.

"That was impressive," he whispered, stroking the side of her face with his knuckles. She could feel a funny, tingling sort of sensation on her tongue.

"Yes, it was," she replied with a small smile.

Lucius slowly rose to his feet, taking her hand and lifting her up as well. "You'd better get some rest, Leveena," he purred into her ear, "maybe tomorrow I'll repay you." Just the seductive tone that he used was enough to drive her wild and up the wall of the study. She froze, feet planting against the carpet.

"Yes, master."

She closed her eyes as she savored the feel of his breath against her neck. Once she opened her eyes, however, all those sensations had ceased to exist. The room was dark, and she was lying in her bed. The towel was wrapped around her head, and the bed sheets were blanketed over her.

It was just a dream. How on earth could she get such ideas like that? Was she truly becoming that corrupted to the point that she had such odd, erotic fantasies about Lucius? She stared up at the ceiling, which she could barely see through the darkness of her bedroom. There was no source of light outside. Not even a moon.

The next morning, Leveena had changed into a simple, blue dress that came from her own wardrobe. She went down into the lounge to see that Lucius was sitting in the recliner, reading the _Daily Prophet. _He hadn't even looked up, though it wasn't hard to hear her pitter-patter down the stairwell. Dwyer was sitting on the back of the chair, looking at the paper as if he knew how to read. It was silent for a moment, up until Lucius's voice could be heard from behind the newspaper.

"Have a seat." She did so, feeling so oddly disoriented from her dream. She couldn't look him in the face, otherwise he'd know she was highly flustered for some reason or another. His next words had stunned her, and the same glint in his eyes could be spotted as he folded up the Daily Prophet and set it on the table. Mischief was dripping from every syllable he spoke. "How did you sleep?"


	6. Let's Make It Happen

Leveena stared at him. She knew in a split second that he had known what lurked in her mind in these past few hours. Why was it so obvious? How did he know that her images were suddenly so impure and risqué? Lucius slowly rose to his feet, and as he did so, the movement had disturbed the peaceful eagle owl, causing him to fly out the window. He was supposedly ready for some fresh air since he could hardly get out and about on rainy yesterday. "I slept fine," Leveena lied hesitantly, staring at him as he casually walked towards her.

"Really?" he cooed, taking her by the wrists and trapping her against the nearest wall. His body pressed against hers, and she could instantly feel that familiar hardness. "You look a little hot and bothered," he whispered, his voice drenched in seduction. "Yes, I know what you dreamed about. Like the Dark Lord, I can easily penetrate your mind."

_Easily penetrate something else too, _she thought miserably, then mentally smacked herself for thinking such things.. She saw his smirk widen, and she regretted letting that though pass through her head. He was reading her mind this very moment!

"Even if I wanted, I couldn't," he whispered against her neck, his hands roaming now along her arms. "Not until I know for sure that you're willing." He slowly pulled away, his hands brushing along her hips before the space increased between them. A part of her was disappointed, but she was also highly shaken up. He turned his back to her for a moment, and then looked over his shoulder at her. "But, I won't go back on my word." There was a promiscuous gleam in his eyes again.

"W-what word?" It was probably so obvious, she didn't know what the fuck he was talking about.

"Your reward," Lucius turned to her fully and pressed his body into hers. Once again, her backside clung to the wall. "That is what you want, isn't it?" His tone darkened, and his hands slipped onto her waist again. "You deserve it after that torturous, teasing little dream." He leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear tauntingly.

"I'm not sure if I do…"

"Are you sure about that?" He asked it in a way that made it clear he was aware of her uncertainty. She did want it - more than anything. It drove her crazy inside.

"No," her breath was somewhat uneven.

Lucius smirked and pinned her harder against the wall, "Alright, my pristine little virgin, let's lift that skirt of yours." His fingertips trailed down to the bottom rim of her dress, pulling it up to reveal her thin, nicely-toned legs. She shuddered at his icy touch, but was slowly driven into a state of lust that was beyond her control. There was only one person who could control it: the man who had caused it in the first place. Leveena suddenly took in a sharp gasp, the inhalation almost stinging her lungs as she felt a pair of fingers press against the moist skin between her thighs. The only thing that kept his fingers from direct contact against her flesh was a thin layer of white lace. That didn't keep Lucius oblivious to the fact that she was turned on. Her excitement had infected him as well, and it could be felt in the manner of his teases. There was such seduction in the way he rubbed her that made his delight transparent. He was enjoying it just as much as she was.

A very hushed moan soon escaped Leveena's lips. She had been trying to keep it locked up in the back of her throat, but she just couldn't do it anymore. What was the point in hiding her pleasure when Lucius knew just as well as she did that it was there? She didn't know what had gotten over her, but what he was doing had heightened her excitement closer to its untold peak. Her hand suddenly dived downward to take a hold of his hard erection through his pants. It hadn't stayed long, however, for Lucius gently took her wrist and pressed it against the wall over her head, doing the same with her other hand.

"Let's not get too rash just yet," he whispered, his left hand holding her arms to the wall while his other continued to please her. "You'll get to pleasure me eventually," he purred against her neck, "I want to hear your moan, first." After briefly kissing her throat, Lucius slowly began to lower before her, removing his hand from her wrists to lift up one of her legs. Her eyes widened, and her heart raced against the wall of her chest. The white fabric that hid her unspoiled folds was moved to a side, revealing her skin to him. Leveena knew she was blushing. The heat was back to her face, and the warmth was returning with a vengeance. Her eyelids sank over her green hues once she felt something warm and wet caressing her. He was tasting her. She witnessed his tongue flickering at the nub of wet skin, and it summoned yet another moan from her confines. Why was he doing this? Had she pleased him somehow by unintentionally notifying him of her desires toward him? Was he generous enough of a man to fulfill those wants, or was this more to amuse himself? Perhaps it _was _a reward. Then, she remember their first full conversation here.

_"Not to worry, Leveena," _Lucius had directed over the dining room table. _"Unlike a house elf, you'll get your reward when you've gained the privilege."  
"Privilege?"  
"All in good time." _

She hadn't known what he meant up until now. At that time, had he intended for this to result in a sexual approach? That, and why had he gotten the idea on eavesdropping on her thoughts to begin with? Had it been an accident, or was he just a nosy jerk?

Her delicate frame bolted again, feeling an odd sensation of delight that she had never really witnessed before. Lucius's head was still between her legs, his mouth attacking her. She almost couldn't take anymore, otherwise she'd probably orgasm for the first time in her life. This had to be one hell of a wakeup call for her. One hell of a breakfast for him.

When he finally pulled back, he had returned his fingers to the moistened body part, which was even more wet now, thanks to the attention he had brought to it. Leveena's back arched erotically, given an elegant, alluring curve that enhanced the beauty that she never knew she really had. Her body shifted forward, and she cried out in her growing pleasure.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Lucius had whispered as he stood to smother her neck and shoulders with fervent kisses. Sadly, it felt _too _good - to the point that she was on the verge of surrendering her innocence. It was degrading, though she was advancing quickly on the feeling of not giving a damn.

"Y--yes…" she whimpered, leaning back her head and arching her back. Her body reached for his, and he almost eagerly snagged it without hesitation. He spun her around, shoving her front side into the wall. Despite how ill-experienced she was in such a sensuous dilemma, she found this rather exciting. Her dress was practically ripped away from her body and tossed onto the floor, followed by her somewhat-sultry lingerie. With the rate that this was going, she would probably end up begging for him to take her fully.

She felt his hands encircle her breasts, his fingers fondling her hardened nipples as his lips taunted at the skin of her neck. Leveena pressed her hands against the wall and gasped, inclining her head back against his shoulder. That was the first time she had taken in a scent of something that was new to her sense of smell. It was a fragrant aroma that was lightly showered on him - some sort of cologne that seduced her further. The alluring scent had her willingly drop to her knees and turn to face him. Last time, it was but a dream. She concluded it was time to bring that erotic fantasy to life.

"Such a curious little thing, aren't you?" chuckled Lucius as he gazed down at her lustfully, watching as she tore apart the clasp of his pants. Leveena had never been so eager to do anything in her life. She pulled out his rigid shaft - eight inches of heaven and intimacy. Eight fucking inches of…well…fuck - whenever and if ever the time would call for it. It was just a little bit bigger than her mind had imagined that night before. Leveena's eyes grew in surprise, though it certainly wasn't an unpleasant sight. He had noticed her stunned expression and laughed, lifting her chin up with his hand. "Don't be intimidated by it," he whispered, lacing his fingers through her golden hair momentarily before slowly pressing her head forward. She wrapped her lips hungrily around him, working her mouth and tongue against it much in the same manner as she had in her salacious phantasm.

It had to be one of the best days of her life. It was her first orgasm ever, and at the same time, the first time she returned the favor. It was a good thing he was staying home for the day, though once they had finished their steamy, racy episode, Lucius regretted to inform her he had some paperwork to attend to. The good news behind it was that he would keep the door to his study open, therefore inviting her in whenever she wished. Out of politeness, she gave him his space and attended to taking care of Dwyer. After feeding the bird, she worked on preparing a small snack for Lucius. _A little bit of chocolate never hurt anyone, _she thought to herself with a smile. It hadn't taken her long to put together a small tray. There were five small, bite-sized truffles of white chocolate, drizzled in caramel. They, as well as perfectly-shaped strawberries, surrounded a small cup of melted milk chocolate. This had been the first time she prepared a fondue recipe, and it almost aroused her, thanks to some of the images that had trailed across her head. With a deep breath, Leveena carefully delivered the tray over to the opened door. Lucius appeared tense and stressed up until he heard her voice. "Care for a snack?"

He looked up from his papers and eyed her for a moment, his lips curving into a small grin. He rose to his feet and tossed his quill onto the desk, swiftly approaching her with such grace, she didn't know what hit her. "Let me take that off your hands, dear," he offered, lifting the platter effortlessly and placing it on the empty table nearby. He looked at it with amusement, then returned his gaze to her face. "Melted chocolate, hm? My, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were hinting at something prurient."

"Why, I don't know what you're talking about," she returned innocently, which caused him to chuckle. He picked up the cup of chocolate syrup and seized her by the sleeve with his free hand. He led her over to the desk, putting down the flask of porcelain just long enough to throw off the papers and writing utensils off the desk. He had carefully placed aside the container of ink before pushing Leveena onto the surface of his desk. Instantly, he was towering over her, his firm hands caressing her nicely-shaped abdomen. She had curves in all the right places of her body, which was enough to fuel Lucius into starting to scandalize the young girl a little early in the evening. He lifted Leveena's dress from her delicate, perfect frame and tossed it over his shoulder, planting taunting kisses along her belly and hips. The teasing was almost too much for her to handle, and it had made her body squirm beneath him. Lucius had noticed this, and a smirk could be seen pulling at the corners of his lips. The girl under his strongly-built person shuddered with excitement as his mouth roamed along her skin. It hadn't been long until it wrapped itself around one of her nipples, causing her to release a brief cry of delight. Her body arched, her heart quickened. She was driven to the verge of begging him to just steal her innocence, though she couldn't quite find the tongue to speak such words.

Suddenly, the loud beckoning hoot of the eagle owl could be heard in the living room. Dwyer had returned. Bitterly, Lucius rose to his feet and turned as the owl flew carelessly into the study, dropping a letter onto the desk and departing as abruptly as he had arrived. Lucius stared at the letter for a moment, as if it had challenged him to a staring contest. He slowly reached for it, and after reading whatever it was on the front of the envelope, all eagerness seemed to leave his face. Something was wrong.

"Sir?" Leveena spoke quietly as she sat up. She hadn't even noticed until the word slipped out that it was not his referred title, coming from her lips. Lucius, however, did not seem to care. Instead, he cleared his throat and lifted his eyes to hers.

"I'm afraid this will have to wait until another time," he spoke. "I have a few errands I need to attend to." There was no explanation - no farewell. He merely slipped out of the room, leaving her clueless and almost nude.

The following day, Leveena had heard nothing from Lucius at all. He hadn't even left her a note of chores to do while he was absent. She did what she could to keep the manor tidy, however, as well as keeping Dwyer cheery. At least he hadn't abandoned her. Sunset was approaching quickly. At first, she had been excited about it, due to the fact that Lucius would step through the massive double doors just before the sun would touch the treetops in the distance that was revealed through her bedroom window. Unfortunately, over half of the sun was now hidden behind the green towers, and there was no sound of his entry. Both her and Dwyer sat in her room, looking out the window desperately.

Her eyelids were already growing heavy, to the point that she drifted into an uneasy sleep for several hours. It was an exasperated squawk that sent her into a rude awakening. Dwyer was perched on the bedpost above her head, flapping his wings barbarously. He was obviously upset about something, though Leveena couldn't pinpoint why. "I already fed you," she groaned as she sat up. Just then, she realized how dark and late in the night it was. Dwyer became silent, staring at the open door that unveiled the black hallway just on the other side. He quietly swept out. Leveena assumed he wanted her to follow him. So, without question, she did so, pulling a robe over her as she descended the stairs. However, a couple of voices in the study had caused her to stiffen. Only one of them was the familiar, captivating voice of Lucius's. The other one, however, was a female's. Already, she ached, though nothing had been made clear.

"I'm so glad to be back, Lucius," sighed the woman. Leveena tip-toed closer to the study, though stayed out of sight.

"Cissy, you're back so soon," he replied. "Why?" He almost sounded displeased.

"Does it disappoint you?"

"No! Of course not," he had answered quickly. Too quickly. Leveena now realized the situation. Narcissa had returned from her visit from France, and indeed, Lucius was _disappointed_. His wife would never hear that from him, though. Leveena peered her green eyes around the archway into the study to see that luckily, Narcissa's back was turned to her. Lucius hadn't seemed to notice Leveena's presence either, which was partially a relief to the young girl. She didn't think Narcissa knowing there was another woman in the house would be a very pleasant occurrence. The rude awakening hadn't ended with Dwyer's wordless announcement, however. Narcissa's face had torn through the little gap that separated from Lucius's, causing their lips to collide - right before Leveena's very eyes. Of course, there was a sting of jealousy and bitterness that stabbed into her gut, but she remained silent. Lucius took his wife's face into his hands and pulled his head back. Only Leveena could see the agitated expression that was faintly lit by the moonlight spilling through the windows. But that didn't mean a thing. Though her "relationship" with Lucius Malfoy was nothing but physical, it still hurt more than anything to see him with another woman - let alone a woman he was committed to. He didn't even seem to wish it as such, but Narcissa did, and she knew nothing of what he had been up to during her absence. Dwyer was sitting on the back of the sofa nearest the front door, also appearing to be disappointed with Narcissa's return. He watched as Leveena hurried back up the stairs. She was quick, but silent - as well as close to tears. Out of sympathy, the winged creature followed her into her room and poised comfortably onto her shoulder, which became a daily sitting for him. When he noticed that she was gathering clothes, a faint gleam of sorrow could be seen in his golden eyes. He nipped at a few strands of hair - almost lovingly - and hooted sadly. Leveena could almost hear him beseeching her to stay.

"I can't," she whispered, "I don't belong here anymore." The bird still insisted to plead. "Dwyer, no," Leveena's voice was now a bit stern, causing the bird to lift his wings and land on the iron rod that supported the curtains, which flowed gently in the breeze that intruded through the open window. She turned and looked at the bird apologetically. Perhaps he was the one that she would miss the most, since he seemed to care about her more than Lucius appeared to. "I'm sorry, honey, but I know Narcissa wouldn't like to know that her husband has a girl for a slave. If not for my sake, then for his sake - for your master's sake - let me go." Dwyer watched as Leveena went out into the balcony. She held a shrunken bag of clothes in one hand, tossing it down to the ground that must have been about 30 feet below her. No way could she jump, but she knew that she was bound to be caught if she went out through the front door, no matter how quiet she attempted to be.

She had to leave now, especially if there was a bag of feminine clothes on the lawn. She suddenly fell silent. In the eerie silence of the manor, footsteps could be heard on the stairs. Narcissa and Lucius were heading up to the second floor. Leveena breathed deeply and remained out on the balcony, listening through the curtain for the shutting door. However, Lucius's voice broke the footsteps. "I'm afraid I have a lot of work to do. I will see you in the morning." Then, it was quiet for a moment longer. "Dwyer!" Leveena jumped, but she did not hear the owl leave the bedpost. In fact, she had peered through the curtains to see that Dwyer was facing the wall opposite of the door, his back turned to the hallway. She heard Lucius approaching the room, and quickly closed the curtains, remaining on the balcony. "Dwyer, get out of--" Lucius had paused, and for a while longer, silence was ringing in her ears. Suddenly, the sound of the curtain being quietly pushed aside emitted, and she knew she had been found. Leveena quickly turned to stare up at Lucius, who appeared apologetic as if he knew that she was aware of his spouse's return. "You should be sleeping," he whispered, slowly approaching her to take her arm gently. As he did, he leaned in, aiming to plant a kiss on her lips. It took a lot of effort, but Leveena moved her head away from his before their lips could touch. It probably wasn't a wise action, but her heart was speaking more than anything else. Sobbing. "Leveena," sighed Lucius, "I should have told you."

"Either that or none of this should have happened at all," she spoke up. She couldn't even begin to describe how much this stung. She would have told him if she wasn't such a wimp. It was probably something he wouldn't care to hear about, anyway.

"Perhaps you're right," he eventually agreed. His lack of argument was followed by another bizarre silence. His voice was stern when he spoke again, "But I still forbid you to leave."

Her bright, green orbs flashed at him angrily, "So you're going to hide me from your wife, then?" Her tone hadn't been this venomous in a long, long time. Never before did she dare to direct such a harsh inflection to him. At this, Lucius stared at her. It was quite plain that he wasn't too enthralled about the situation either. She expected a smack, but instead, his response was still verbal.

"I haven't much of a choice, do I? If I throw you out, you are no longer protected from the Death Eaters. And if Narcissa finds you here," he almost appeared to cower a bit, "then it will surely be my head."

_Hopefully not the one on your shoulders _was her sour thought. She regretted it as she felt his cold, long fingers constrict about her throat. It had slipped her mind that he knew her mind. Damn Legilimency to hell.

"I know this isn't very fair, but you hardly have a say in the matter." Before departing the balcony, he violently claimed her lips with his own, luring her into a clashing, violent kiss that had nearly bruised her.


End file.
